Satsangs

Satsang is a compound Sanskrit word that means “keeping the company of the Self.” The Self, Awareness, is the true nature of everyone and one keeps company with it by continually meditating on it in many ways. One of the most effective methods involves discussing non-dual teachings with someone who has realized his or her identity as the Self, to get clarity with reference to Self inquiry. The satsangs posted here are the questions of many people around the world who are interested in enlightenment and find that Vedanta is their preferred means of Self knowledge. Since I am a teacher of Vedanta, a time tested means of self inquiry, I am qualified to reply to these questions.~James Swartz

ShiningWorld Reader

I love your satsangs and missed them these past few months. Your way of writing finds its way directly into my heart, “producing” heightened awareness when reading them. This has to be understood in contrast to reading the daily news, which causes a slight depression because I actually don’t want to read and know it.

This of course is not the way Ram would like me to express truth according to Vedanta (I’m somehow a bit averse to use Sanskrit terms). I met him about 15 years ago in Tiruvannamalai, where he gave me his first book Inquiry into the Self. Reading it revealed of course “knowledge versus experience” and showed very clearly how much we invest in our unhappiness, and a way out of it.

Luckily for me, some years before I had a long-lasting vison of non-duality in the presence of Papaji, who said to me some time later not to remain in and enjoy sattvic states but to enquire “who is seeing them?” which of course initiated the well-known “firefly stage,” which is alternating between looking as the self versus looking at the self. I was very fortunate during these years to be able to look at thoughts and see them always dissolve back into consciousness sooner or later, which helped a lot.

Since this body won’t last much longer (I’m 78), it’s high time to leave finally the firefly stage and fully be consciousness as the real and only identity.

You can see from this long journey, beginning with therapies, leading to Osho and Papaji and Vedanta, eventually led to Freedom. By the way, your somehow similar journey and your way of describing it found a welcoming echo in mine.

~ Namaste, Nisargan

Arlindo: Hello, Nisargan, nice to hear from you. For your information, another 16 written satsangs were uploaded yesterday to the ShiningWorld website.

Yes, we have traveled similar paths to get to Vedanta, and now that you are fully committed to Vedanta it’s all a question of staying with it until the knowledge is so firm and clear that no vasanas have the power to conceal it. When the fruit is fully matured, it naturally drops effortlessly. No need to shake the tree, or look for a stick.

The only thing required is to keep feeding the mind with the knowledge until “almost” no traces of ignorance are left to sprout and condition the conscious mind with self-limiting thoughts and feelings. I say “almost” because there is no such thing as 100% knowledge, or 100% purification of hardwired vasanas born of self-ignorance. Some of those old vasanas may remain in one’s system for some time, at least until they don’t.

Seventy-eight is a good age if the mind is still in good working condition, and the body not too burdened with chronic pain. Unfortunately, maturity usually comes in our older ages.

I suggest you not to be anxious about when you will fully and firmly shift from the Jiva to the Self. Anxiety agitates the mind and prevents it from diving into those subtle levels of inquire suggested in our scriptures. Keeping a good attitude is also a key factor in seducing Isvara to take sympathy for you.

Contacting Shining World

For years I have happily and diligently responded to communications on the topic of Self realization. Since the publication of my book, “How to Attain Enlightenment”— currently in its third printing —and the success of this website, the volume of emails has increased considerably. Unfortunately, owing to a busy schedule of teaching and writing, I am no longer able to answer all the emails I receive in a timely fashion. However, my wife, who is also a teacher, and several well-qualified teachers we have endorsed are available to answer emails on my behalf. I encourage you to send them your questions.
— James SwartzContact Us